Love Changes Everything
by levana lachrimae
Summary: Riku and Sora are best friends and have been fighting over Kairi most of their lives, but what happens when Riku finds out that Sora is actually more attracted to him? This, plus a shady criminal Organization, a father's debt, and a well kept secret puts Riku in a bit of a tight spot. Warning: Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to Square Enix.**

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The lights were off when I came home from work that night. Everything was silent in the apartment I shared with my best friend Sora. He always got through with work an hour before I did, so I just assumed that he was already asleep as I tip-toed quietly through the main living area and down the hall to the bedroom we both slept in.

I could barely make out his shape under the covers of his bed in the faint moonlight streaming through the blinds. It looked like he was sleeping soundly, so I carefully set my keys on the bedside table and folded the blanket of my bed down to climb in.

"Riku," he breathed. It seemed I hadn't been quiet enough.

I sighed and said, "It's me, Sora."

He moaned a little before rolling onto his back and saying, "Riku…"

I blinked a few times before a slow smirk spread across my face. He must have been dreaming about me. I sat on the side of my bed, casting the faint light from my cell phone onto the boy. The light was just enough for me to see him clearly, but not enough to wake him. I didn't know how to react to what I saw. Sora was lying on his back, his hand down the front of his pants, nursing a very prominent boner.

Quickly, I shut my phone and held my breath, careful not to make a sound. My heart was racing and I could feel the blush in my cheeks, but I didn't know if it was there from embarrassment or… something else. I'd had homosexual relations before, but they'd never progressed into something real. They'd usually just been one night stands with strangers I couldn't give a damn about. I'd never been with someone I… actually cared about.

I'd known Sora all my life. I'd grown up with him. He'd been my best friend ever since we were kids. And here he was… having these sorts of dreams about me. In the pale moonlight streaming in through the window, I could make out the contour of his form. He was tangled in his sheets, one knee up, stroking himself ferociously.

A slow smile spread across my face as I heard him breathe my name again and I wondered… just how far I could take this. On a whim, almost from instinct, I stepped toward Sora's bed. After only a moment's hesitation, I gently climbed on top of him. He stiffened beneath me and I paused, my heart racing at my mistake. If he woke up now… all hell would break loose.

"Riku?" he asked, slightly coherent as he began to pull his hand out of his pajamas.

A moment's inspiration struck me and I took up the retreating hand, sucking on his index finger after saying, "You're dreaming."

"Oh…" he said with a small giggle. He would be naïve enough to believe it.

This was the only way to go about it if I didn't want him to know this was real. I reached down to play with the drawstring of his pajama bottoms, releasing his hand as I asked, "Shall we continue?"

"Yeah," Sora breathed.

I knew I had him then. I slid the tips of my fingers under his waistband, pulling it down ever so slightly as I said, "Tell me what you want, Sora."

He groaned and asked, "Do I have to?"

"If you don't," I said as the smile on my face grew, "I won't know what to do."

"Gosh, Riku," he said as I dipped my head to lick the patch of skin right above the inside of his hip bone.

"Tell me," I said, wondering just how far I could push him. I placed my hand lightly over the bulge in his pants, chuckling when he thrust his hips into it. "Do you want me to do something with that?" I asked mischievously.

"Riku!" he groaned, rubbing himself against my palm.

"Okay, I guess you don't," I said, pretending to move off of him.

"No," he said, clawing at my shirt. "Fine. I want you to… put your mouth on me."

"Oh," I said, barely about to hold in the laughter that wanted to burst out of my lungs. "Like this?" I began to nibble the flesh of his lower abdomen, dangerously close to his most sensitive area.

He groaned again, bucking his hips as he said, "Damn it, Riku, I want you to suck me off!"

I raised my eyebrows, worried for a moment that our neighbors would hear him, but then I shrugged and said, "If you say so."

I'd never given a blow job before, but I'd received plenty and I knew what I liked. I took that knowledge and applied it to Sora, deciding not to make him wait any longer. I reached into his pajamas, bringing his length out into the open. I'd seen Sora naked before, so I sort of knew what to expect, but the feel of him, the sensation of his hard, pulsing shaft in my hands was very different than I'd expected… and not entirely unpleasant.

I ran my tongue along his length, judging his size as compared to my mouth. He was a decent size, smaller than me but still about average. I took as much of him as I could into my mouth, forcing myself not to gag as the tip of him hit the back of my throat. I gently stoked his base that my mouth couldn't reach as I bobbed my head in time with his thrusts. His hands softly tugged on my hair and I could hear his breathing hitch. I knew that Sora was a virgin, so it probably wouldn't take me very long to get him to his climax.

"Yeah…" he breathed. "Just like that."

I kept this up for about five minutes before the urge to flip him over and have my way with him started to kick in. It was pretty dark in the room, so I couldn't really see him clearly but the feel of him… The way his body reacted to my touch was phenomenal. And the sounds he was making, his soft pants and the little whimpers and moans escaping his lips… everything about him was making me crazy. Since when was I so attracted to him?

I heard him gasp and I knew he was about to cum. _So much for my own dream_, I thought as I sucked him harder, my hands exploring his body.

"Riku…" he panted. "I'm gonna… I'm gonna cum."

I closed my eyes, savoring the taste of him as his juices filled my mouth. I pulled back, letting him slip out of my mouth as I swallowed his essence. I sat up, only then realizing the not so little problem I had. I was seriously turned on… because of Sora. That had never happened before.

"I'm sleepy," he whispered.

"That's okay," I said, pulling his pajamas back up over his now flaccid member. "Just go to sleep."

I saw him smile and in the next moment he was out. Only then did I make a beeline for the bathroom for a much needed meeting with my hand. Things were about to become quite different around here.

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**A/N: So this is a new one that I've been working on, sort of on the side. Originally, I wasn't going to publish it, but after some prompting from a friend, I decided... what the hell. This isn't a one-shot (if it were, it would be a pretty bad one xD). I'm actually completely finished with the end of the story, I just need to write out the beginning bits, so once I'm done with that there should be some actual schedule to the uploads. I think... Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Thank you for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to Square Enix.**

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I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face, despite the uneasy feeling in my gut. I didn't know what to think about what happened last night. I'd always assumed Sora was straight. To come in and find him like that… and take advantage of him like I had… had probably been the wrong way to go about it. Well, that made me feel like the biggest dick in the world. At least he still had no idea it had even really occurred.

I glanced over at his still, sleeping form before leaping out of bed. Today was Thursday, which meant that we would both be taking our last class of the week in about two and a half hours. After a quick shower, I decided to make breakfast for him as a sort of unknown, silent apology. I'd had no right to do what I did to him last night. Sure, if he'd really been willing and we were both in our right state of mind, something like that could have happened. But he'd been half asleep and I'd convinced him he was still dreaming. He probably would never have agreed to it otherwise. There was no sense beating myself up over it now when it was all said and done. Besides, it hadn't been all bad.

I sighed as I heard the shower start up again. Well, there was no turning back now. If Sora really did have any sort of physical attraction for me, I would get it out of him sooner or later. I grinned and looked down at myself. I was wearing a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans and a white t shirt. I chuckled and shrugged out of my shirt, throwing it toward the living area for later before tugging my jeans down a few inches to where they just barely showed the top of my hip bones.

I smiled when I heard Sora step out of the bathroom, nonchalantly flipping pancakes as he came into view. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stiffen, his eyes going wide at the sight of me, and had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

"Morning, Sunshine," I said, waving to him as he pulled up a stool at the kitchen counter. "Breakfast?"

"Blueberry pancakes?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Yep," I said with a smile as I pushed a plate of his favorite breakfast delight toward him.

"Hey, Riku?" he asked, not looking me in the eye.

"Yeah?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and trying to look genuinely curious, though I pretty much knew what was coming.

"Last night…" he began, pulling his lips together. "Did anything… weird happen?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking puzzled.

"Never mind," he said with a nervous chuckle.

"What's up, Sora?" I asked, leaning across the counter toward him.

He shifted away from me and quickly said, "Nothing! It was… uh… just a dream I guess."

"Alright," I said, forcing myself to suppress a chuckle.

I made my way around the counter to sit next to him with my own plate. He gave out a tiny shiver as I brushed past him and I would have given anything to know what he was thinking right about then. I could tell that I was going to have so much fun with this. I'd made up my mind. It would be quite a challenge to get him to admit his attraction to me aloud, but once he did, I would make him mine. I'd sat up for a while last night thinking about it. I wasn't sure when the attraction started for me, but it was certainly there. Our friendship would never be the same again now that I knew about it. It didn't matter if he acknowledged or even knew about his own attraction. I would never be able to look at him the same way again.

I was halfway finished with my pancakes, lost in my own thoughts, before I realized that Sora hadn't even touched his. He was staring down at them intensely, probably caught up in his own mind.

"Hey, Sora?" I asked, reaching over to him.

He looked up at me with wide eyes and breathed, "Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" I asked, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"You know…" he said, quickly standing up with his back to me. "I'm not really feeling very well. Could I save them for later?"

"Sure," I said, walking over to him. I stood very closely behind him as I reached up to feel the side of his neck. "Are you sick or something?"

He turned suddenly and said, "I don't know. I… uh… I'll be in the bathroom."

"Will you be able to make it to class?" I asked. "We have to be there in an hour. Last class of the week, Sora, and he's giving us our grades on the test we took last time."

"Uh…" he said, backing toward the hallway. "Yeah. I should. I don't know, Riku. Just give me some time to think."

"Alright," I said with a nod, watching him swiftly turn and all but run into the bathroom.

Oh yes, I thought. This is going to be real fun.

Class that day was as exciting as ever, and when I say exciting, I mean boring as hell. We got our grades and went over the next section. Classical conditioning, Pavlov's dog… blah, blah, blah… basic psychology stuff.

I kept one eye on my notes and the other on Sora. I noticed how he kept glancing over at me every once in a while. I always caught his gaze and smiled, causing him to blush in turn. It was overall very amusing and got me through class without too much boredom.

When class was finally, thankfully over, I drove Sora to the Groceria, like every Thursday. Both our part time jobs began at noon and ended at five on Thursday so we could both get up bright and early Friday morning to go to work at six (for me) and seven (for Sora).

"You feeling up for work or do you still feel sick?" I asked as we pulled into the parking lot.

"I'm fine now," he said, waving at me as he rushed to get his apron on.

I chuckled knowingly and said, "What a cute little deli worker you are."

He faltered and tried to hide his enflamed cheeks as he said, "Uh… sure, whatever. Bye, Riku."

I chuckled again as I pulled away, heading toward the bookstore where I worked. I always got there a few minutes late on Thursdays, but the shift manager understood about school.

My old friend and coworker Selphie was there clocking in as soon as I walked through the door. She noticed me and waved.

"Hi, Selphie," I said with a smile. "How are you doing today?"

"Riku…" she said, tilting her head and eying me suspiciously. "You look different today. What's up?"

"Huh?' I said, puzzled. "Nothing…"

"I know what it is," she said, a knowing look on her face. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"What?" I asked, taken aback. I knew that my cheeks had to be the brightest shade of red right about then.

"Come on," she said, leaning on the counter. "You can't hide it from me. What's her name?"

"Selphie…" I started, not quite sure what to tell her.

"I'm pretty sure you're not dating me," she laughed.

"It's…" I said, looking around at the currently empty store. "It's actually… not a girl."

Her eyes went wide and her cheeks filled with color as she excitedly said, "I knew it! I knew it! Ha! Oh, please tell me… It's Sora isn't it?"

"What…" I blanched. "How did you… Why would you… What?"

"Oh please," she said, taking me by the arm and leading me deeper into the store. "So tell me… who asked who?"

"We're not… actually together," I said. "It's a bit of a story."

"So tell me," she said. "I'll be right with you, sir," she said as a customer entered the store. "Come on!"

"Well…" I began, not knowing really how to tell her. "I came home last night and Sora was having a dream about me, okay?"

"Okay…" she said, releasing a breath. "Was it a dream… or a _dream_?"

"Selphie…" I said, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

"I see," she said. "So… does he know that you know?"

"No," I said, "and it's staying that way."

"Alright, alright," she said, holding up her hands. "We'll talk about this after my shift is up. I have a customer to take care of right now."

I nodded and watched her walk away as I went into the back room to go through the new shipment we just received. I supposed there was no harm in Selphie knowing a little about what had happened, as long as she didn't know the whole story. She might like to know things herself, but she wasn't the kind of person who would go around telling other people. I would let it go this time, but she would probably be ragging me for more information or new developments, if there were any.

Of course, there would be new developments. Once I set my mind to something, I wasn't easily deterred. I would make Sora mine one way or another, and I had a pretty good idea brewing in my head right about now.

When Selphie was done helping her customer, I tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Selphie? I might need your help with something."

"Sure, Riku," she said with a puzzled look on her face. "What is it?"

I smiled down at her. Yes, I think this was going to work nicely.

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**A/N: I love the response this story has gotten so far. Thanks so much for the support and I'll try to continue to live up to the standard you've all come to expect from me. You guys (and girls) are awesome. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to Square Enix.**

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"A party?"

"Sure, Sora," I said with a grin. "Selphie's throwing it for the old island gang. It's you, me, Kairi, Wakka, Tidus, and her. Come on, Sora, it's been a while since we all got together." When I talked to her yesterday, Selphie had agreed to help me set up a little… incident with Sora. It was bound to get his attention.

"Well…" he said, contemplating the thought. "Okay. Why not?"

"Great," I said, overjoyed that he agreed to go. "It's tonight, after work."

"Tonight?" he asked. "That doesn't give me a lot of time to prepare."

"It's not like we have to dress up," I scoffed. "It's just a bunch of friends hanging out and playing stupid games."

"Right," he laughed.

"Why are you so nervous?" I asked, giving him a friendly shove as we walked toward the car. "We can come back here to change before we go, if it makes you feel better."

"Well it gives me something to look forward to, at least."

"That it does, Sora," I said with a knowing chuckle. He had no idea what he was in for.

The whole day leading up to the party, I could barely contain my delight. It was a hard day at work, so Selphie and I barely talked, but we quite often exchanged mischievous glances. It was all leading up to that moment, that one moment that would change things forever. When it happened, Sora wouldn't be able to deny his attraction any longer, though it would probably still take a lot to get him to admit it. I just hoped he wouldn't keep it bottled up and push me away. If that happened… I would have to find a way to fix things.

* * *

"Go on then, Riku, it's your turn again," Tidus said, punching me lightly on the arm.

"Okay, Selphie," I said, lying back nonchalantly. "Bring it."

"Truth or dare?" she asked with a smile.

"Dare," I said automatically. It was my second dare of the evening. This was it.

"Okay…" she said, pretending to think. "I dare you to…" she giggled a little, biting her lip as she said, "kiss Sora."

I glanced over at him then. His head popped up incredibly fast and a slow blush spread across his cheeks. I shrugged and said, "Hell, why not?"

"And not just any old kiss," Kairi spoke up. "It has to look like you're into it."

I chuckled and leaned toward Sora, who stopped me as he said, "Woah… you're not really going to… kiss me… right?"

"It's a dare, Sora," I said. "It's all in good fun."

He gulped and nodded. I smiled as I leaned in closer, gently pressing my lips against his. I felt him stiffen and I knew I had to get him to react if this was going to work. I brought my hand up to his face and began to move my lips against his. I was partially aware of the girls' squeals in the background, and I'm sure Sora was too.

"Don't mind them," I whispered against his lips. "It's just us. No one's watching, okay?"

He gasped, his parted lips allowing me enough space to slip my tongue into his mouth. I slid my hand down to his neck, where I could feel his pulse racing as I slid my tongue across his. And then he was kissing me back. Fully awake and aware of his actions, he was kissing me back. I leaned into him, pressing my body into his and savoring this moment as our tongues danced inside his mouth.

Behind us, Wakka cleared his throat and said, "Alright. That's enough, ya?"

I broke the kiss, scraping my teeth across his bottom lip as I pulled away, holding his entranced gaze as I asked, "Was that into it enough for you, Kairi?"

"Uh…" she said, letting out a forced laugh as she turned to Wakka and said, "Okay, Wakka it's your turn now."

"No way," he said. "Next thing I know, you'll be daring me to kiss Tidus or something, man."

Everyone but Sora and I laughed at his statement. They went on talking, but I wasn't paying them any attention. My mind was focused on Sora. His cheeks were the brightest red I'd seen them and he was watching me with this strange, unreadable expression, panting with his lips still parted. I wanted desperately to know what he was thinking now.

I probably made a mistake in reaching up and running a finger down his face while asking, "A penny for your thoughts?"

"I'm… not sure," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm confused."

"What's to be confused about?" I asked innocently. "Selphie dared be to kiss you, so I did."

"It's not…" he said, flustered. "I'm not… I can't talk to you right now."

"What?" I asked, eyes widening as I reached for him. He avoided my touch and I asked, "Sora it was just an innocent kiss. It was just a dare, nothing more."

"That's why I…" he said, looking away from my quickly, before I really had time to see the moisture in his eyes. "Never mind. Go. Hang out. Have fun. I'll be somewhere or another and I'll see you later."

I watched him all but run to the bathroom and that was when I knew. Sora wasn't just physically attracted to me. I'd just made him realize, probably too early, something much deeper. I think he was actually very much in love with me. This wasn't just a game anymore. It wasn't something to have fun with or to laugh at. He didn't just want to fuck me and move on with his life; he wanted to be with me. I was playing with real feelings here, feelings that I didn't know if I could reciprocate. Yes, I could admit that I was attracted to him, but that was mere lust. Love and lust were two completely different worlds. I didn't want to start anything based solely on lust if he felt something more than that.

I sighed as Selphie walked up to me, positively beaming as she asked, "Did it work?"

"I think it worked a little too well," I said, looking at her with a serious expression. "Selphie, I think he loves me."

"That's good isn't it?" she asked, laying a hand on my arm. "So why do you look like it's the end of the world?"

"Because I know myself," I sighed. "I know I'll probably end up hurting him if I keep this up. Damn it! I'll end up hurting him regardless. Once you know something like that, you can't un-know it. He's going to want something from me that I don't know if I can give."

"Do you want me to talk to him for you?" she asked, looking up at me with worry in her eyes.

"I don't know," I said, running a hand through my hair and internally kicking myself for my stupidity. "Yes. But don't tell him I know. I just… want you to confirm it for me. And tell him… Tell him I'm worried about him… as a friend."

"Okay, I will," she said, heading toward the bathroom.

I saw her knock on the door and say something. I barely caught a glimpse of Sora's face at the door as he opened it for her to come in. Selphie glanced back at me before she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Part of me wanted desperately to sneak up and put my ear to the door, but I decided to give Sora his privacy. Selphie would tell me when she came back.

I kept glancing at my watch every minute that went by. She was in there for a long time before she came out. Tidus and Wakka had gone home fifteen minutes ago, when their host had first disappeared. It was just Kairi and me in the living room, which wasn't really odd considering Kairi lived here with Selphie.

"He'll be okay, Riku," Kairi said, biting her lip as she looked back at the bathroom door.

"It's easy for you to say that," I said, not meaning it as badly as it probably sounded. "You're not the one who hurt him."

"You obviously care about him if you don't want to hurt him," she said.

I threw her a confused look and asked, "What…"

"I figured out what you were up to," she said with a smile. "It's not that hard to read the both of you. I've known there was something between the two of you for the longest time. It's part of the reason I never wanted to date either one of you, because I figured you would eventually end up dating each other."

"Well, news flash," I said with a sigh. "I probably just screwed up big time." She looked hurt, so I quickly said, "Sorry… I don't know where my head is right now."

"It's alright," she said. "You're just as confused as he is, probably."

"I know my heart, Kairi," I said. "And more than that, I know my body. I'm going to end up starting something with him just because… I want him. Sure, I love him. He's my best friend. I care about him in that way, I know. I just don't know if I can love him romantically… because I don't. Not yet."

"I think there's something there," she said with a smile. "Your heart's so deep and dark that you don't see it, but you will. Just give it time."

"I'm glad you have faith in me, Kairi," I said with a small but genuine smile. "Because I don't."

I heard the door to the bathroom open and close and I shot up, worried when it was only Selphie who came out.

"Well?" I asked eagerly. "What did he say?"

She bit her lip and said, "I can't say, Riku. I told him I wouldn't tell you."

I blinked, sighing as I asked, "You can't tell me anything at all? Come on, Selphie, you've got to give me _something_."

"He…" she said, pausing and taking a deep breath before saying, "He cried a lot. He's going to stay here tonight and I think it's best that you go home now."

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly through my nose before quietly saying, "Alright. I'll go. Just tell him… I'm sorry."

"He'll see you tomorrow," she said as I stood, picking up everything that was mine before heading to the door.

"Thanks, Selphie," I said. "Even though it didn't really go as planned, I appreciate what you did for me."

"Any time," she said. "And, Riku?"

I paused, my hand on the doorknob as I turned and asked, "Yes?"

"Everything's going to be alright," she said with a smile. "When he comes back, _talk_ to him. Don't let this fester."

"I don't…" I started.

"I know you don't like talking about your feelings, Riku," Kairi said, "but this situation warrants an exception, right? You obviously care about him, so tell him that."

"Let me figure this out for myself," I said. "I'll talk to him, I promise."

With that, I waved and exited the house, trudging to my car and driving back to my empty apartment in brooding silence.

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**A/N: And the story progresses. I hope you liked it because it took me forever to decide how to end this one. How will Sora react to this little adventure? Thank you for reading, and please review. ^.^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to Square Enix.**

* * *

It was difficult to get any sleep that night. I stared at the empty bed on the other side of the room for what seemed like hours before I finally decided to stop torturing myself, rolling over onto my other side and facing the wall. I shut my eyes and just about forced myself to stop thinking about what had happened today… well it would have been yesterday by then. I didn't know how long I laid there before I finally willed myself to sleep.

I heard laughter in the living room when I awoke the next morning. Who the hell had just let themselves into my apartment? No one but Sora and I had a key.

I trudged out of the bedroom, clad only in my pajama bottoms and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. When I reached the end of the hall I saw Selphie and Kairi sitting on my couch like they owned the place. Sora was seated in the little recliner with his back to me. He seemed happier today than when I'd last seen him, especially if the laughter I'd heard was any indication.

Selphie spotted me and waved as she said, "Hey, sleepyhead."

My eyes were focused on Sora, so I saw him stiffen when he heard my voice, "What time is it?"

"Almost one," Kairi said with a small laugh. "You sure know how to sleep."

"Yeah," I said, stretching. "Well I didn't actually get to sleep until this morning so…"

"Where are you going?" Selphie asked as I stumbled into the kitchen.

"Water," I croaked as I poured myself a glass through the filter on the tap before bringing it around to sit on the stool, facing the living room.

"You okay?" Kairi asked. "You look like crap."

"Didn't sleep well," I answered, taking a sip of my water.

Sora, who still hadn't said anything yet, turned to look up at me with a smile on his face. It was good to see him smile, especially after what Selphie had told me last night.

"Hey, Sora," I said gently, smiling back at him. "Are you feeling better?"

He nodded, standing up and opening his mouth to speak before shutting it again. He sighed and looked back at Selphie and Kairi.

"Go on, Sora," Selphie said quietly. "You can do this."

"I…" he said, fear crossing his face for a moment. "But what if he…" His voice was quiet, almost like a whisper. I had to strain to hear him.

"You'll never know unless you try," Kairi said.

"Riku…" he said, clearing his throat. "I… uh… I… hmm…"

"Go on," Selphie urged.

"Sora, I'm not going to bite you," I said with a chuckle. "Come on, we've been best friends for how long? You know you can tell me anything. If something's up let me know."

"Well it's… difficult to explain," he said, biting his lip.

"Try me," I said, opening my arms.

"Well… I honestly don't know what to think, Riku," he said, meeting my gaze for just a moment before looking down at the floor. "I just want this awkwardness to go away so we can go back to the way we were before."

"Hey," I said, standing up. "I'm more than content to put the whole thing behind us and forget it ever happened. Unless… you have something else to say?"

"I… don't know," he said, closing his eyes. "I'm confused. I need some time to figure things out. Let's just go back to the way things were… at least until I figure out what I'm feeling, okay?"

I finished my water and said, "If that's what you want, it's fine by me. We can just forget this nonsense and I can go on torturing you as before." I winked at him and he gulped, sending me a nervous smile.

"Well," Kairi said, standing up and motioning toward the door. "I think we'll be going now. It was good to get to see you guys again. Take care."

"Thanks for bringing him back," I said, going over to open the door for them.

"Talk to him, Riku," Selphie whispered to me as she slipped out of my apartment.

I nodded, smiling at them as they descended the flight of stairs and got into their car.

"So," I said, leaning against the door and crossing my arms over my bare chest. "It's a Saturday. We've got nothing. What do you want to do?"

"Don't you want to get dressed before we do anything?" he asked, biting his lip.

"Can a man not walk around half-naked in his own apartment?" I asked with my hands on my hips. "Or do you have a problem with my partial nudity?"

"Just go and put some clothes on, please?" he said, blushing again.

"I missed you," I said, going over and tousling his array of brown spikes.

"You did?" he asked, looking up at me after swatting my hand away.

"I did," I said, a slow smile spreading over my face. "Though to tell you the truth, it's a little difficult to masturbate when you share a room with someone." I'd told myself that I wouldn't mess with him like this anymore, but it was just so much fun I couldn't help it. The look on his face was priceless.

"Oh my God," he said, quickly turning away from me. It took a lot to quell the insane laughter I had building up in my chest as I saw him take several deep breaths.

"I was just teasing you," I said, letting out a small portion of laughter. "It's actually not that difficult."

"Riku!" he said, clenching and unclenching his trembling hands.

"Gosh, Sora," I said, patting his shoulder. "I'm really just messing with you."

"So… you don't?" he asked, finally turning around to look at me.

"Not when you're awake," I admitted. "Okay, I'll stop," I said as he shot me a playful, venomous glare.

"And go put some clothes on," he said, pointing toward our bedroom.

"Oui, mon seigneur," I said, saluting him as I dashed to our room. I dressed quickly in a fresh set of jeans and a sleeveless gray shirt before heading back out into the living area. "Better?" I asked when I saw him holding a letter.

"Much," he said, glancing at me before turning his attention back to the letter in his hands. "Why is our water bill so high this month?"

"We had that leak in the building a while back," I remembered.

"And that was our fault because…?" he said, looking at me quizzically.

"Beats me," I said, shrugging. "But, hey, at least water's the only bill we have to pay."

"And the internet," he said, pointing to an unopened letter on the counter.

I sighed and said, "Yeah, that too. If you want, I'll pay the whole thing this month."

"No," he said, folding the paper and putting it back in its envelope. "I'll still pay my half. I'm not going to throw that on you."

"Will you still be able to pay half the rent?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," he said, waving away the thought. "But enough about finances." He threw the bill down with the other.

"Here, here," I said. "Though if the water bill stays high, we might have to start sharing the shower to cut back." I winked at him, chuckling at his now furious blush.

"I don't…" he said with a gulp.

"You still haven't told me what you want to do today," I said, leaning against the counter with my ankles crossed. "Scary movie marathon?"

"I don't really feel like horror tonight," he said, sitting down.

"You don't want to watch people get their guts ripped out and laugh at how fake the effects are?" I asked in mock disbelief.

"Not really," he said. "I don't know what I want to do."

"We could go out," I shrugged. "Go clubbing with the girls or something."

"I honestly just feel like curling up with a book and relaxing," he said with a sigh.

"On a Saturday night?" I questioned. "I don't think so. Come on, we're going to go out and have a good time."

"Clubbing?" he asked. "How much fun can we have at a club when we're not even old enough to drink?"

"I know a place," I said, grinning as I fished my cell phone out of my pocket. "Let me find out if the girls are up for it."

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "Hasn't there been enough excitement already?"

"What excitement?" I asked with a wink. "Come on, Sora. It'll be fun."

"If you say so," he said with a sigh.

I looked down at his worried expression, reassuring him with a smile before dialing Selphie's number.

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**A/N: "Oui, mon seigneur," for those of you who don't know, is French for, "Yes, my lord." I sort of wanted to move things along a bit quicker because I realized that with what I have planned, this is going to be quite a long story. I may end up writing it in two parts, like I did for Agony of Affection since there's a decent cut-off point approximately in the middle, but that would mean slowing things down a bit on this part. Thoughts? In any case, I hope you enjoy reading as much as my brain enjoys torturing me with the ideas. Reviews are greatly appreciated. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine. They belong to Square Enix.**

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I watched the girls out on the dance floor as I tapped my foot in time with the music. I'd tried to convince Sora to dance with me, but he simply told me that he didn't know how before ending the matter by sticking his tongue out.

"Everyone knows how to dance, Sora," I said with a small chuckle. "It's just that not everyone is very good at it."

"Well I'm not good at it, then," he said, smiling at me from across the table we sat at.

I saw the girls coming toward us as a slower song began. They were both out of breath as Selphie sat next to me and Kairi taking her place next to Sora. If this had happened a few days ago, I would have been insanely jealous. Now, however, my attention was focused more on Sora than Kairi. It was insane in and of itself. I never would have thought that my energy would be put toward winning Sora's hand. But here I was, thinking over my next move. I had to act carefully this time. There was no telling how he'd react if I just came right out and did something.

"It was a great idea to come here, Riku," Kairi said, a huge smile plastered on her face. "I haven't had this much fun in ages."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," I said as a waiter came over and gave us our drinks after which I tipped him generously for the special service.

"Tell Leon we're even," I said as he walked away, waving to me.

"What is this?" Sora asked, eyeing the beverage before him.

"Well," I said with a smile. "There's red wine for Kairi, rum and coke for us, and water for Selphie since she's so generously offered to be our driver."

"How could you afford this?" he asked, picking up his glass and taking a careful sip.

"He's charged me for juice and tea," I laughed. "Can't be serving alcohol to an eighteen year old on the books."

"Right," Sora said. He took another, larger sip before deciding to down the entire glass. He then drew his eyebrows together as he began to cough.

Kairi patted him on the back, looking at me as she said, "Riku, you could have given him something a little weaker."

"Do you want some of my water, Sora?" Selphie asked, offering him her glass. He nodded, taking the glass and almost completely draining it. Selphie shot me a look and said, "Just because you're Irish, Mr. Gallagher, doesn't mean everyone has the natural tolerance you do."

"At least he finished it," I said with a chuckle. I looked over at him and said, "Sorry, Sora. You want something different?"

"How about some wine?" Kairi asked, holding up her glass. "You might like that a little better."

"I think I'm done," he said, holding his hands up.

"It doesn't burn, I promise" Kairi said. "Here, I'll get you one."

"Sorry, man," I said, amused at the ordeal. "I didn't know you couldn't handle your spirits."

"Bite me," he said with a slight, playful scowl.

"Wouldn't you love me to?" I teased, noticing the flush in his cheeks that was definitely not caused by the rum.

"That's enough, Riku," Selphie said as Kairi came back with a tall, cylindrical glass of wine, disguised to look like fruit juice.

"Here you go, Sora," she said, sliding him the glass. "I think this will suit you better."

"Okay," he said, taking a breath before lifting the glass to his lips.

I watched him take a small sip with my eyes half open and a small grin on my face. I should have warned him about the rum. I'd probably just set him off of it for life.

"That's… better," he said, savoring the taste as he took another less careful sip.

About an hour and two glasses of wine later, I could tell that it was high time to get Sora home. Even though he hadn't drunk that much, he was still getting a little tipsy. I was just about to say something when he clutched his stomach, mumbling something before heading straight for the side door closest to us.

"I should go check on him," I said, getting up when Selphie made room for me to get by.

I went out into the alleyway to see Sora leaning against the wall, panting and still holding his stomach.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Do you need to throw up?"

"I…" he said, turning to look at me. He had this strange look on his face as he said, "I need to… I need…"

Without warning and before I could even think to react, he threw himself at me, taking my face between his hands and pressing his lips to mine. I was shocked, to say the least, when he practically forced my mouth open and shoved his tongue between my lips. I'd never known him to be this aggressive.

"Sora," I mumbled, placing my hands gently on his shoulders. I didn't want to actively kiss him back because it was obvious that he was drunk, but I didn't want to push him away either because I didn't want him to feel rejected.

I didn't have to debate with myself for very long because a few seconds after he initiated the kiss, he pulled away, immediately throwing up onto the pavement. I blinked, paralyzed by my shock and confusion.

"It's not…" he said, forcing his words out between his gags. "It's not you."

"I know," I said, rubbing his back. "It's the booze."

He nodded as I tenderly pushed a few strands of hair out of his face. He retched a few more times, barely anything but saliva coming up now, before he stood and wiped his mouth. I heard the door open, loud music pouring out of the building before it was shut.

"I think we should get Sora home," I said when I looked up to see Selphie and Kairi standing off to the side of us.

"Are you okay, Sora?" Kairi asked, placing her hand on his forehead.

"I'm fine," he said. "I think I just need to sleep this off."

"Okay," Selphie said. "Let's get you home then."

"Sorry I had to ruin your night," he groggily said.

"You didn't ruin anyone's night," Selphie responded. "We had a lot of fun tonight, right, Kairi?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling at Selphie. She turned back to Sora and said, "Don't feel too bad about it. It happens."

"Come on, Sora," I said, letting him lean on me as I walked him to Selphie's car and sliding into the back seat after him.

He leaned into me almost without thinking. I was surprised, but quite content to wrap my arm around his shoulders and hold him close until he drifted off to sleep.

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**A/N: I know it was kind of short, but I'll make it up to you. There's going to be a bit more characterization in Sora from now on, beyond the meek little thing you've been seeing. I contribute that to awkwardness around Riku since he's discovered his attraction. Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a review. :D**


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